Coke oven door with fluid pressure latching means

ABSTRACT

A coke oven door which has upper and lower fluid filled diaphragm means acting on door latches and also has intermediate fluid filled diaphragm means continuously communicating with said upper and lower diaphragm means and normally subjected to pressure by a force while means associated with said door are provided which in response to a limited upward movement of a lifter hook movably connected to said door automatically causes said force to reduce the pressure exerted thereby upon said second diaphragm means and thereby upon said first diaphragm means so that the door latches are relieved for permitting lifting the door off the oven frame.

limited States Patent COKE OVEN DOOR WITH FLUID PRESSURE LATCHING MEANS 2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

Int. Cl Cl0b 25/02 Field of Search t. 202/248,

Primary Examiner-Norman Yudkoff Assistant Examiner-David Edwards Alt0rney-Walter Becker ABSTRACT: A coke oven door which has upper and lower fluid filled diaphragm means acting on door latches and also has intermediate fluid filled diaphragm means continuously communicating with said upper and lower diaphragm means and normally subjected to pressure by a force while means associated with said door are provided which in response to a limited upward movement of a lifter hook movably connected to said door automatically causes said force to reduce the pressure exerted thereby upon said second diaphragm means and thereby upon said first diaphragm means so that the door latches are relieved for permitting lifting the door off the oven frame.

MTENTED UEB28 i97i FIG-6 SHEET 3 [1F 3 INVENTOR. 4 4/43 5/ 0/97) COKE OVEN DOORWITII'FLUID PRESSURE LATCI'IING MEANS It is necessary to carry out with great care the tightening an'd untightening of coke oven doors secured" by two or more latches which engage with hooks on the doorframe in such a manner that a goodsealbetween door and frame results. Furthermore, on the tall ovens which are becoming more and more common today, the upper latch bars cannot be reached unaided from the oven side platforms. Finally, it is important that all latches should be tightened to approximately the same extent.

Devices are known for mechanically carrying out the tightening of such'doors. Also, coke oven doors are known which are provided with flexible diaphragms located between the door body and thelatch assembly, which diaphragms are flexible in a direction required to tighten the latch, and are closed all around except for a means of applying fluid pressure within. After replacement of the door, the diaphragms are connected to a source of gaseous or liquid pressure which tightens the latch, such tightening remaining effective for the whole of the carbonizing period for one charge. The latch is untightened when the pressure is released.

Another type of door is known in which the weight of the door itself is used to tighten the latches. An equalizing coupling bar is fitted between the latches to ensure that all the latches are tightened to the same extent; instead of this arrangement the weight of the door may be applied by means of pistons in cylinders,and to equalize the pressure on a mu]- tiplicity of latches by connecting the pressure sides of allthe cylinders together.

It is an object of the present invention to make a door which can be securely closed without great efforts, and which is provided with latches tightened to equal pressures.

This object and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view'of a coke oven door according to the invention in closed condition.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section through the coke oven door of FIG. I.

FIG. 3 illustrates on a larger scale than FIGS. 1 and 2 a horizontal section taken along the line III-III of FIG. 2, through a latch.

FIG. 4 represents a vertical section of a door according to the invention in the region of a latch.

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section taken along the line V-V of FIG. 2, but on the same scale as FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 illustrates a verticalsection, showing a diaphragm,- lifting lug and lever system.

The coke oven door according to the invention is characterized primarily in that the interior of stretchable vessels or diaphragms associated with door latches is in continuous communication with the interior of a further stretchable vessel or diaphragm arranged on the door while the inner pressure of said last mentioned vessel or diaphragm is determined by an adjustable continuously effective force such as a spring force. The door according to the invention is further characterized by a device by means'of which when the latched door is lifted, the said force is reduced until the latching pressureis reduced and until the latching means swingably mounted on a horizontal shaft substantially parallel tothe longitudinal extension of said latch means are inclined downwardly so as to drop from above behind a hook.

Since there is pressure equalization between the diaphragms, which flex in the direction of the tightening pressure on the latches, the use of pressure cylinders and pistons, which are easily affected by dirt, is avoided, and there is no need to connect the diaphragm to an external source of pressure to tighten the latches, or to release the pressure when the The mechanism can be arranged so that a pressure spring, with its axis perpendicular to the door latch bar acts on the diaphragm, and this spring can be compressed, in a direction which will reduce the spring pressure on the diaphragm, by means of a lever system connected to the door hook, the hook itself being free to move up and down on the door body.

The insertion, locking and unlocking and lifting off of such door is carried out very easily, without any manipulation of the latch. The door extractor has only to be run'up to the door in such'a way that the jaw or hook comes under the lifting lug. The extractor jaw or hook is then raised, and this compresses the spring and lowers the pressure in the diaphragm. The lowered pressure is transmitted to the diaphragms in the latches, the pressure on the latches drops, the latch bars drop slightly and the door can be lifted clear and removed.

The replacement of the door is equally simple, the extractor travels the door into position in front of the oven. The door is lowered and in consequence the lever compressing the spring moves releasing the spring which raises the pressure in the diaphragm to the set valve. This pressure is transmitted to the individual diaphragms in the latches which are forced out into contact with the vertical portions of the door hooks. This tightens the door.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the door body shown therein is of a U-shaped cross section opening toward the outside. More specifically, the door according to the present invention comprises a baseplate I0 and sidewalls 11 and 12. Sealing strips 13 are respectively fixed to the outside of the sidewalls 11 and 12. These strips are adapted sealingly to engage the front side of the sealing frame 14 which has a substantially rectangular cross section. Two pairs of latching hooks 15 protrude from the sealing frame 14 toward the outside. A latch bar 16 is adapted to engage the said pair of hooks 15 when the latch bar is in its latching position. As will be seen from the drawing, the latch bar 16 has two arms 17 which extend at an incline in upward direction and are pivotable about bolts 18 which are connected to a box-shaped part of cross head 19 through which a latching bolt 20 extends which is secured to the pressure transfer body 21.

A vessel or diaphragm 22 is filled with a pressure medium and is extendable in a direction perpendicular to the door body for'a direct engagement with the door body 21. The body 21 and the pressure medium filled vessel 22 are by means of a hood 23 mounted on the baseplate 10 of the door body protected against soiling. An inner groove of hood 23 is with slight play in the direction of the axis or bolt 20 engaged by a collaFshaped reinforced portion of the body 21. As a result thereof, the movement of the bolt 20 inserted in body 21 is limited in axial direction. The pressure of the medium in the vessel 22 determines the pressure by means of which the ends of the latching bar 16 are pressed against the upwardly extending portions of the latching hooks 15 by means of the body 21, bolt 20, part 19, and arms 17.

The upper as well as the lower stretchable or extendable vessel 22 communicate by nonillustrated conduits continuously with the pressure vessel 24 arranged in the central portion of the door. On its inner side, the said pressure vessel 24 engages the baseplate 10 of the door body, whereas the outer side of said pressure vessel 24engages the pressure plate 25 of a stamp-shaped part, the outwardly extending portion 26 of which is provided with an oblong hole or opening 27. A cylindrical cover 28 is placed upon the baseplate 10 of the door body and surrounds the pressure vessel 24 and the baseplate 25. The said cover 28 has a central opening through which extends the member 26 which in its turn is surrounded by a pressure spring 29. Spring 29 on one hand rests on the outside of plate 25 and on the other hand rests against a disc 30. For purposes of guiding the spring 29, there are provided interengaging sleeves 31 and 32 of which sleeve 31 is mounted on the cover 28, whereas the sleeve 32 is provided on the inside of the disc 30. Screw bolts 33 mounted on the outside of the cover 28 extend through bores of the disc 30. By means of nuts 34 threadedly engaging the screw bolts 33, the position of the disc 30 can be adjusted and thereby the pressure at which the springs 29 act upon the plate 25 and consequently upon the pressure vessel 24. Thus, it is possible in a mechanical way, namely, by tightening or loosening the screw 34 to determine the pressure at which the liquid pressure medium will stand in the pressure vessel 24. This pressure is conveyed to the expandable vessels 22 which determine the latching pressure.

In order to unlatch the door, there is provided a device which is adapted to move the stamp with its baseplate 25 outwardly, in which instance the pressure spring 29 is still further loaded whereas the pressure vessel 24 is relieved.

The lifting lug 35 engaged by the hook of the door extractor is not rigidly connected to the door body, but by means of oblong openings through which extend screws 36 engaging the door body, is adapted to be lifted and lowered within certain limits. A lever system is rotatably arranged at 37 on the arm 38 of the lifting lug 35. Pivotally linked to the arm 38 at 39 is a further lever 40, the outer end of which carries an actuating arm 43. Lever 40 is, by means of a bolt 41, journaled in two extensions 42 arranged on the inside of the sidewalls 11 and 12 of the door body. The actuating arm 43 is rigidly connected to the lever 40 and engages the oblong opening 27.

When the door is unlatched, the hook on the door extractor first lifts the lug 35. in this way, also the bar 38 and thejoint 39 are lifted, and the lever 40 carries out a pivoting movement about the bearings 42. As a result thereof, the actuating arm 43 moves outwardly and together therewith the part 26 so that the baseplate 25 moves in a direction away from the door body whereby the pressure vessel 25 is relieved. Consequently, also the vessels 22 which through conduits communicate with the vessel 24 are relieved so that the ends of the latch bar 16 only loosely rest on the hooks 15. During this operation, spring 29 has been further tensioned. By means of noniliustrated but well-known abutments, the inclined position of the arms 17 is limited. The arms which carry the latch bar 16 therefore drop only slightly. in the meantime, the door has been lifted to such an extent that also the ends of the latch bar 16 which are in lowered position will be located above the hooks while the door is moved out of the oven frame.

If, during a coking period, one of the vessels 22 or the pressure vessel 24, or conduit means interconnecting said vessel should spring a leak, the tight-fitting or closing fit of the door with regard to the door frame will not be affected because the hood 23, body 21, bolts 20, and parts 19 convey the weight of the door to the arms 17, so that a firm engagement of the ends of the latch bar 16 with the hooks 15 will be assured and this as a reaction force will produce the pressure at which the seal 13 is pressed against the frame 14.

it is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular structure shown in the drawings, but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a coke oven frame having upper and lower hook means protruding forwardly from said frame, a coke oven door which includes: a door body having a U- shaped cross section with sidewalls forming the legs of said U- shaped cross section and with a baseplate interconnecting said sidewalls, first upper and lower volume variable elastic chamber means adapted to receive fluid under pressure and arranged between said sidewalls within the region of said upper and lower hook means, first linkage means including latch bar means operable by said first chamber means to firmly engage said hook means, second volume variable elastic chamber means arranged on said door between said first chamber means, pressure exerting means continuously exerting pressure on said second elastic chamber means, conduit means continuously establishing communication between said first chamber means and said second chamber means, lifter hook means connected to said door for engagement by a door extractor to lift said door off said frame, said lifter hook means being vertically movable to a limited extent relative to said door, said linkage means being operatively connected to said lifter hook means and including actuating means operable in response to an upward movement of said ifter hOOK means to decrease the pressure exerted by said pressure exerting means on said second chamber means thereby also reducing the pressure in said first chamber means and the engaging pressure exerted by the latter upon the latch bar means so that said latch bar means can be lifted out of said hook means when said door is being lifted off said oven frame.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which said pressure exerting means is formed by pressure spring means having its axis substantially perpendicular to said baseplate, and which includes plate mans operatively connected to said second linkage means and operable in response to an upward movement of said lifter hook means to compress said spring means in a direction away from said second chamber means to thereby reduce the spring pressure exerted by said spring means on said second lifter hook means. 

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which said pressure exerting means is formed by pressure spring means having its axis substantially perpendicular to said base plate, and which includes plate means operatively connected to said second linkage means and operable in response to an upward movement of said lifter hook means to compress said spring means in a direction away from said second chamber means to thereby reduce the spring pressure exerted by said spring means on said second lifter hook means. 